Clasp for belts, suspenders, &amp;c.



T. P. WALLACE. CLASP FOR BELTS, SUSPENDERS, 6L0.

APPLICATION FILED mum, 19:9.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

UNITED STATES THOMAS P. WALLACE, 0F CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CLASP FOR BELTS, SUSPENDEItS, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed July 18, 1919. Serial No. 311,734.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS P. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Concord, in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clasps for Belts, Suspenders, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clasps for belts, suspenders and the like and its object is to provide a device whereby the strap or webbing is secured to the frame by gripping action proportional to the pulling strain. without the use of holes punched in such strap or webbing, and which may be made of a minimum number of parts, without soldering, to simplify and cheapen the construction of the same.

IVith this object in view my invention comprises a frame having side portions provided with grooves and a gripping member arranged to slide in said grooves and force the strap or webbing against the front plate of the frame. The grooves in which the gripping member slides are so related to the front plate of the frame that the gripping member by its movement in a forwardly direction will force the strap against said plate. In one form of my invention the grooves are inclined forwardly and downwardly with respect to the front plate and in another form" they are horizontal and the forward end of said plate is inclined with respect to the grooves.

The drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification show illustrative embodiments of my invention but it will be understood that various changes in form and arrangement may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a belt buckle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of a modification. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the buckle shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a side view of another modification and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the latter.

In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing my invention, 1 represents the front plate of the frame of a belt buckle provided with upstanding side members 2, 2, the inner surface of each of which is indented thereby forming a groove 3 in such inner surface and giving an embossed or beaded effect to the outer surface thereof. The sides of the gripping plate 4 fit lnto the groove 3 which as shown in Figs 1 and 2 is inclined forwardly and clownwardly with respect to the front plate. The front plate may be provided with a hook 5 for recelving one end of the belt and the two side members may be joined by the bridging pieces 6, 6 if desire It will be obvious that when a pulling strain 1s exerted on the belt the plate 4 will be drawn forwardly and force the strap or webbing against the front plate of the same and hold it tightly by the wedging action of the gripping member. I

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 41- the groove 3 extends practically the entire length of. the buckle and its two end portions are both inclined downwardly with respect to the front plate. In lieu of the hook 5 for receiving one end of the belt I employ a second gripping member 7 arranged to slide in the rearward portion of the groove 3 and hold the end of the belt by its wedging action. In this case the forward gripping member 4 operates to secure the adjustable end of the belt in the same manner as the plate 4.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the ends of the front plate 1' are inclined upwardly and the groove 3 is horizontal so that there will be a wedging action between the plates 4, 7 and the ends of the front plates respectively.

It will be noted that in each embodiment of my invention the gripping plate is parallel to the grooves into which its sides fit and that it is inclined to the strap so that its forward end will force the latter against the front plate.

Having thus described illustrative embodiments of my invention without limiting the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clasp comprising a frame having a front plate and upstanding side members, the inner surface of each side member being indented to form a groove in such inner surface and a head on the outer surface thereof, said grooves being inclined downwardly and forwardly with respect to said front plate, and a gripping plate located within said frame and parallel to said groove, the sides of said gripping plate fit- 1 ting into and being arranged toslide in said grooves whereby the forward end thereof Will force a strap against said front plate.

2. A clasp comprising a frame having a front/plate and upstanding side members, the inner surface of each side member being indented to form a groove in such inner surface and a bead on the outer surfacethereof,

and a gripping plate located Within said 10 frame and parallel to said groove, the sides of said gripping plate fitting into and being arranged to slide in said grooves and said grooves and front plate being so related that the forward end of said gripping plate Will force a strap against said front plate.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16thday'of July, 1919.

THOMAS P. WALLACE. 

